Planter assembly with selectively actuated output

ABSTRACT

An actuating system for a planting device. The actuating system has an electric motor that provides an actuating force for a seed shaft. A pneumatic acting member is connected to a source of compressed air through a valve and positioned to engage the electric motor to actuate the electric motor. The source of compressed air and electric motor can thus be connected to a controller that operates the source of compressed air and the electric motor in order to provide selective actuation to control planting of the planting device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed toward planters. More specifically, thisinvention is directed towards a method and means of controlling aplanter.

Planter assemblies such as corn planters traverse through fields andplant seeds in order to provide a crop. When planting the seeds thelocation of each seed in the ground is crucial. Specifically, individualplants need to be located at a distance from one another that not onlymaximizes their potential to grow such that they are not overgrown orfighting with adjacent plants but additionally allows as many plants togrow as possible. Additionally, because many farms now require acresupon acres of land to be planted the seed planting process needs to beas efficient and fast as possible wherein the row planting may becontrolled.

Thus, a principal object of the present invention is to provide enhancedseed planting control.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an actuatingdevice that selectively deactivates a row unit based upon the geographiclocation of a planter as determined by a GPS system.

These and other objectives, features, and advantages will becomeapparent to one skilled in the art based upon the following disclosure.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An actuating system for a planting device. The system has an electricmotor that provides an actuating force for a seed shaft. A pneumaticactuating member is connected to a source of compressed air through avalve and is positioned to engage the electric motor to actuate theelectric motor. The source of compressed air and the electric motor areconnected to a controller that operates the source of compressed air andthe electric motor in order to plant the seed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a valving system for a planter;

FIG. 2 is a side plan view of an actuating system for a planter;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an actuating system for a planter;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an actuating system for a planter; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an actuating system for a planter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a generic valving system 10 used within an actuating systemfor a planter. The valving system 10 includes an electric motor 12 thathas a drive shaft 14 rotatably engaging and actuated by the electricmotor 12. The electric motor 12 is selectively engaged and activated bypneumatic actuating member 22. The actuating member 22 is of any size,shape, and structure that permits expansion to engage the electric motor12. One example of an actuating member 22 is a rubber tube that isoperably connected to a source of compressed air 24. Alternatively, theactuating member 22 is an air bag connected to a source of compressedair 24 or an air cylinder that activates a piston that engages electricmotor 12. Preferably, the actuating member 22 expands approximately 300%under 35 psi and has a compound on the outer surface of member 22 thatbecomes sticky as the member expands to better engage the electric motor12.

The source of compressed air 24 is of any type including a 12 voltportable compressor mounted on a vehicle or a rechargeable portable tankwithout a compressor. The source of compressed air 24 may beelectrically connected to a controller 26 that sends a signal toactivate the source of compressed air 24 which in turn activates thepneumatic actuating member 22. The controller 26 may be wirelesslyconnected to a GPS system 28 to permit activation based geographiclocation. Additionally, controller 26 may be electrically connected toand in communication with the electric motor 12 such that the controller26 can selectively activate the electric motor 12 to rotate the driveshaft 14.

In one embodiment the valve system 10 can be used in association withdrive arrangement 32 in multiple locations as best shown in FIGS. 2-4.The drive arrangement 32 includes a drive gear 34 that is operativelyconnected to a drive shaft 36. Preferably the drive shaft 36 isflexible. The drive gear arrangement 34 is fixed to an implement shaft37 (axial or engine) that provides rotational force to drive geararrangement 34. Connected to the opposite end of the drive shaft 36 is adrive transmission 38. The drive transmission 38 is operativelyconnected to a metering structure 40 such as a row unit which depositsseed onto the ground. Drive is therefore provided from the axle orengine shaft 37 through the drive gear arrangement 34, drive shaft 36and drive transmission 38 to drive the metering structure 40 to a speedproportional to the ground speed of the implement.

The connection between the drive transmission 38 and metering structure40 includes a seed shaft 42 that is connected to a metering drive 43.Placed over the seed shaft 42 is a hollow tube 44. The hollow tube 44 isnot attached to the speed shaft 22 and rather spins freely about theseed shaft 42. Placed inside the hollow tube 44 and attached to the seedshaft 42 is a transmission drive 46. In this manner, the transmissiondrive shaft 36 and the seed shaft 42 rotate in unison and the hollowtube 44 is free to rotate about both shafts 42 and 46. The hollow tube44 is of any shape and is formed to fit within the bore 48 of the drivetransmission 38 such that when drive shaft 36 is rotated the rotationalforce transfers to drive transmission 38 which causes the drivetransmission 38 and the hollow tube 44 to rotate in unison. Preferablythe hollow tube 44 and bore 48 are hex shaped.

In one embodiment an electrical motor is rotationally connected to thetransmission drive shaft 36 such that the transmission drive shaft 36 isthe drive shaft 14 of electric motor 12. Thus, when activated theelectric motor 12 rotates the transmission drive shaft 36 that causesrotational force to be transferred to seed shaft 42 which in turnrotates the metering drive 43 of the metering structure 42. In thismanner controller 26 can selectively actuate electric motor 12 in orderto actuate the metering drive 43.

In yet another embodiment similarly the electric motor 12 can rotatablyengage the seed shaft 42 such that seed shaft 42 is representative ofthe electric motor drive shaft 14. In this embodiment the controller 26is able to selectively actuate the seed shaft 42 directly withoutconsideration of the drive shaft 36.

Alternatively, in yet another embodiment a center member 49 is operablyconnected to drive gear 34 and axle or engine shaft 37 of drive geararrangement 34. In this embodiment, similar to previous embodiments, theelectric motor 12 may rotatably engage the center member 49 to providerotation thereof such that rotation of center member 49 rotates drivegear 34. In this manner controller 26 can selectively actuate the drivegear 34 via the center member 49.

In order to selectively and independently activate a plurality ofactuating members 22 a valve module 64 is electrically connected to thecontroller 26 for either manual activation or activation through aconventional GPS system. The valve module 64 includes a housing 66 thatcontains a plurality of valves 68. The valves 68 are connected, throughthe housing 66 to the source of compressed air 24 through tube 70. Alsoconnected to each valve 68 at one end is an air tube 72 that isconnected to the pneumatic actuating device 22 at the opposite end ofthe air tube 72. Multiple actuating members 22 may be connected to eachair tube 72 through the use of at least one or more connectors 74 suchas a Y or T connector. This connection system is known as “DaisyChaining” and allows one to easily connect and disconnect actuatingmembers 10 from the valves 68 based on the desired application. In thismanner a group of actuating members 22 are activated when a selectedvalve 68 is activated by controller 26.

This system is particularly valuable in a planting device. For example,a twelve row planter using a valve module 64 having four valves 68 beset to control four sections of three rows each. Should greater controlbe desired a second valve module 64 may be added having two valves 68 sothat the modules 64 may be set to control six sections of two rows each.For even further control the controller 26 is able to control theelectric motor 12 associated with the planter such that when certainrows are not desired to be planted the controller 26 can preventactuation of the electric motor 12 such that even when Daisy Chainingthe rows can be controlled. Thus, this adds even greater control and formore possibilities when planting the seeds in rows.

In operation the controller 26 transmits a signal to activate the sourceof compressed air 38, selectively activates valves 48 and selectivelyoperates electric motors 12 based either on a manual command or ageographic location as determined by the GPS system 28. Once activatedvalve 68 permits compressed air to travel through tube 72 to theactuating member 22 to activate the actuating member 22. At this timethe electric motor 12 is activated and operable and plants seed unlessthe controller 26 signals an individual electric motor 12 otherwise. Asa result, an improved control is provided and at the very least all ofthe stated objectives have been met.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variousmodifications could be made to the device without the parting from thespirit in scope of this invention. All such modifications and changesfall within the scope of the claims and are intended to be coveredthereby.

1. An actuating system for a planting device comprising: an electricmotor proving an actuating force for a seed shaft; a pneumatic actuatingmember connected to a source of compressed air through a valve andpositioned to engage the electric motor to activate the electric motor;and the source of compressed air and the electric motor being connectedto a controller that operates the source of compressed air and theelectric motor.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller operatesthe source of compressed air and electric motor based on a manualcommand.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller operates thesource of compressed air and electric motor based on a geographiclocation determined by a GPS system.
 4. An actuating system for aplanting device comprising: more than one electric motor providing anactuating force for more than one seed shaft; more than one pneumaticactuating member positioned to engage the electric motors to activatethe electric motors; a valve module having more than one valve, thevalves connected to the pneumatic actuating members and a source ofcompress air; and a controller connected to the source of compressedair, the valve module and the electric motors to operate the valves, thesource of compressed air and the electric motors.
 5. The system of claim4 wherein the valves are connected to more than one actuating member. 6.The system of claim 5 wherein the controller operates the compressedair, valves and electric motor based on a manual command.
 7. The systemof claim 5 wherein the controller operates the compressed air, valvesand electric motor based on a geographic location determined by a GPSsystem.
 8. An actuating system for a planter comprising: a drivearrangement including a drive gear operatively connected to a driveshaft that is operatively connected to a drive transmission; a driveshaft connected to a seed shaft that is operatively connected to ametering structure; an electric motor that rotationally engages thedrive shaft; and an actuating device positioned to engage the electricmotor.
 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the actuating member andelectric motor are connected to a controller and the controlleractivates the actuating member and electric motor based on a geographiclocation determined by a GPS system.
 10. The system of claim 8 whereinthe actuating member is pneumatic.
 11. The system of claim 8 wherein theactuating member is connected to a source of compressed air through avalve.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein the source of compressed airis connected to a controller that activates the source of compressedair.
 13. The system of claim 11 wherein the controller activates thesource of compressed air based on a manual command.
 14. The system ofclaim 11 wherein the controller activates the source of compressed airbased on a geographic location determined by a GPS system.
 15. Thesystem of claim 8 wherein more than one actuating member is positionedto engage more than one electric motor, the actuating members connectedto a valve module having more than one valve.
 16. The system of claim 8wherein the controller is connected to a source of compressed air andthe valve module to activate the valves and the source of compressedair.
 17. The system of claim 16 wherein the valves are connected to morethan one actuating member.
 18. The system of claim 16 wherein thecontroller activates the compressed air and the valves based on a manualcommand.
 19. The system of claim 17 wherein the controller activates thecompressed air and the valves based on a geographic location determinedby a GPS system.
 20. An actuating system for a planter comprising: adrive arrangement including an implement shaft operatively connected toa drive gear that is operatively connected to a drive shaft; a centermember that rotationally engages a bore in the drive gear; an electricmotor that rotationally engages the center member; and an actuatingmember positioned to engage the electric motor.
 21. The system of claim20 wherein the actuating member and electric motor are connected to acontroller and the controller activates the actuating member andelectric motor based on a geographic location determined by a GPSsystem.
 22. The system of claim 20 wherein the actuating member ispneumatic.
 23. The system of claim 22 wherein the actuating member isconnected to a source of compressed air through a valve.
 24. The systemof claim 22 wherein the source of compressed air is connected to acontroller that activates the source of compressed air.
 25. The systemof claim 24 wherein the controller activates the source of compressedair based on a manual command.
 26. The system of claim 24 wherein thecontroller activates the source of compressed air based on a geographiclocation determined by a GPS system.
 27. The system of claim 22 whereinmore than one actuating member is positioned to engage more than oneelectric motor and the actuating members connected to more than onevalve.
 28. An actuating system for a planter, comprising: a drivearrangement including a drive gear operatively connected to a driveshaft that is operatively connected to a drive transmission; a driveshaft connected to a seed shaft that is operatively connected to ametering structure; an electric motor that rotationally engages the seedshaft; and an actuating device positioned to engage the electric motor.29. The system of claim 28 wherein the actuating member and electricmotor are connected to a controller and the controller activates theactuating member and electric motor based on a geographic locationdetermined by a GPS system.
 30. The system of claim 28 wherein theactuating member is pneumatic.
 31. The system of claim 30 wherein theactuating member is connected to a source of compressed air through avalve.
 32. The system of claim 30 wherein the source of compressed airis connected to a controller that activates the source of compressedair.
 33. The system of claim 32 wherein the controller activates thesource of compressed air based on a manual command.
 34. The system ofclaim 32 wherein the controller activates the source of compressed airbased on a geographic location determined by a GPS system.
 35. Thesystem of claim 30 wherein more than one actuating member is positionedto engage more than one electric motor and the actuating membersconnected to more than one valve.